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Feel like getting schooled? Try one of ACE’s Educational Partners

A speed bump on the cruise to studying for the ACE certification exam through hundreds of pages of text and information is bound to happen. Not everyone can breeze through all of the ACE study materials without hitting a bump or two. In fact, I’d bet money that most people experience an issue or two or more. I know I did. At times, the volume of material is overwhelming…and that’s normal.

For some, it will be easy to hit those speed bumps with a vengeance and continue cruising along, but for others, they will want or need help — live help that’s not found in a textbook or study guide.

At the American Council on Exercise (ACE), we understand that not everyone enjoys — or finds it effective — to learn out of a book at home. Luckily, we have a solution for those of you who want that live education aspect to help solidify the information.

Through the ACE Educational Partnership Program, ACE is partnered with over 500 Colleges and Universities across the United States (and Canada) to bring you that live education. Below, I’ve listed some of the frequently asked questions that we field about this program and how it works.

Q. What is the ACE Educational Partnership Program?

ACE’s Educational Partnership Program is a partnership that has been created between ACE and hundreds of Colleges and Universities around the United States. ACE has created a specific curriculum around each of its certifications (Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach, and Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist) and through this partnership schools can use ACE’s curriculum and teach it to their students, their staff, and the general public.

There are several different ‘types’ of schools that participate in the program, ranging from high schools, Community Colleges, Careers & Technical Colleges, and four-year Universities. Assuming that they meet the requirements, ACE invites any and all higher education institutions to participate in the partnership program. Some of the most common participants are University Recreation facilities and Career & Technical schools.

ACE gives our Educational Partners the ability to adapt our curriculum in a manner that works best for them. The course is designed to be one semester in length (roughly 15-16 weeks) and this time period is similar to what we recommend for our home-study program. Some institutions offer the course over one year (divided into two semesters) while others may offer the course over a 1-2 month period.

Q. Do you have to be an enrolled student to participate in these courses?

It really depends. As mentioned previously, ACE allows our Educational Partners to determine how they would like to operate their course. That being said, some choose to open their course to the public every semester whereas some are available to the enrolled student population only.

Q. Is there a fee associated with these courses?

Typically, yes. We empower the institution to set their price for their course. Based on what ACE has seen over the last year or two, the price is usually fair and affordable. The Educational Partner is not required to report their price-point to ACE therefore it would be best to contact the school near you to see what/if they charge for their course.

Q. If they charge extra for the course, what’s the advantage?

The advantage is live education from an instructor who is required to have a Personal Trainer certification and a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science (or related field). The Personal Training course is designed to take you through the 4th Edition ACE Personal Trainer Manual (2-volume set with ACE’s Essentials of Exercise Science text). If you are participating in an ACE Educational Partner’s course, you may not be required to purchase a larger, more expensive home-study bundle. Depending on the cost of the live course, you may save some money in the long run.

Q.How do I get in touch with the school near me?

We encourage all of our educational partners to display their information on our website. Most partners will provide us with a phone number and a link to their (ACE) curriculum program page. This is a great way to, at least, get started. The rest is up to you, but we’re happy to assist you if you have questions about reaching out to our partners.

If you have any additional questions about the ACE Educational Partnership and how it works, or if you need assistance searching for an ACE partner in your area, please call our team of Education & Certification Consultants at 800-825-3636 ext. 782.

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By Chris Goudeseune

Chris Goudeseune is the Program Coordinator at ACE and holds the ACE Group Fitness Instructor certification. As Program Coordinator, he has the opportunity to work with a distinct group of ACE Master Instructors and hundreds of fitness facilities around North America to provide accessible, high-quality live education opportunities for ACE-certified fitness professionals. In his spare time, Chris enjoys watching sports and avidly follows his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.